Which of the following is NOT one of the three recommended actions when starting a new research project?

• A. Decide on a research area and disease target; assess competitor activity; evaluate commercial opportunity
• B. Consider competitor activity
• C. Assess commercial opportunity
• D. Immediately begin large scale manufacturing

Answer: (D)

Starting a new research project should begin with defining the direction and evaluating viability: decide on the research area and disease target to set the goal, consider competitor activity to understand the competitive landscape, and assess commercial opportunity to judge whether the effort is likely to be worthwhile. These steps help you scope the project, identify differentiation, and gauge potential impact and value before investing resources.

Immediately beginning large-scale manufacturing is not appropriate at this stage. Manufacturing at scale is expensive and irreversible and requires solid proof of concept, validated processes, regulatory planning, and quality systems. Jumping straight to manufacturing would waste resources if the project later proves unfeasible or unviable.